Arabian Nights
by numb-butt
Summary: AU - As a secluded desert princess, Gou Matsuoka takes the first opportunity to disobey her brother's rule and to sneak past palace walls where a whole new world along with a cute guy named Seijuuro Mikoshiba is waiting for her. Seijuuro/Gou
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** Upon noticing the lack of Seijuuro/Gou stories, I feel it as an obligation to submit my own addition to the fandom. Okay, I just really like the ending song to Free! and the costumes and stuff, so I want a desert princess Gou, so don't judge. Also, I can't guarantee when or how often this will be updated (which is the main reason why I usually stay away from multi-chaptered stories), but since this idea has been in the back of my mind, here it is.

As for right now, this is the prologue, so nothing except some descriptions and a little insight to Gou's character. Don't worry though, most chapters won't be this short and will begin to include Seijuuro and the rest of the Free! cast along with the slow unraveling of a plot (shocker, I know).

Anyways, sorry for such a long rant, please enjoy and let me know what you think. :)

Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club (c) Kōji Ōji

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_Arabian Nights_  
Seijuuro/Gou  
01. Prologue

The desert sun is bright and ruthless, ever relentless in its assault on those unfortunate enough to fall into its grasp. It has caused even the mightiest men to fall victim to lustful mirages through the inevitable heatstroke and has even caused death to hopeful travelers ill-equipped for the heat.

The desert is a merciless place that takes one and all as its victim.

At least, that is what Gou was always told growing up. Naturally, she has never left the safety of palace walls per ruling of her brother – something along the lines of "ignorance is bliss". As a loyal sister, she has never questioned Rin and has remained behind walls for all seventeen years of her life. That does not mean she has never toyed with the idea of disobeying, after all, who would not let curiosity get the best of them? She will even admit that she has created many vivid possibilities of what the outside world contained. Her greatest idea as of yet has to be that beyond the palace walls lied an unimaginable oasis which is the main reason people even crossed the unforgiving desert in the first place – they wanted to see the amazing spectacle that only her kingdom had.

All the while, Gou allows a wistful sigh to escape past her ever chapped lips as she leans heavily on her pearl white balcony that creaked ever so slightly at the new addition of weight. Her gaze peers out to the colossal albeit rusting palace walls that narrow her view of the world beyond it, leaving only the vision of a vast sea of sand (only seeing the sand kills her imagination of an oasis as no human will possibly travel to her homeland just to encounter more sand). It is a sad sight, she thinks, and wants to see more, but she is not even sure there is a way to move past the gates without being caught.

Just as she is about to turn to return to her bedroom, out of the corner of her eye, she sees a speck of flaming red that causes her to squint her eyes as only one other person in the palace shared her natural locks. Upon closer inspection, Gou definitely recognizes the speck as her brother and yet, where is he headed? She did not quite remember there being anything of interest outside her window. After all, she has never seen him over this way before, so it is only natural to assume so. Squinting her eyes even more, Gou finally sees Rin's quick observance of the surrounding area before climbing through what must have been…

"A crack in the wall!" Gou exclaims and covers her mouth in surprise when she notices her brother hesitate at the shrill noise. After all the years she's been here, how could she have never noticed something so significant? Right under her nose, too!

Why would Rin be going through it now though? The sun is falling to its slumber in the ground and supper time is drawing near, Rin knew that as he was the one who always commented on it during their supper conversation, so where exactly is he headed…? Outside the walls, that much is for sure, but did he not always beat it into her head that the outside world is a dangerous place filled with people called bandits and thieves? Therefore, it would only be polite of her to go make sure her brother stays out of trouble… right?

A sly smile spreading on Gou's lips, she turns on her heel quickly and races inside to navigate her way to the ground floor. Anticipation shakes her bones to the core at the very idea of escaping the walls to explore the world and see all the sights for herself instead of silly stories told by her caretaker or brother's friends. Ah, the very idea! A giggle escapes from her then as she pushes open the tall, white doors embroidered in gold to reassure everyone of the wealth and power of the palace to outside and is about to race out to locate the hole in the wall when a sudden and light touch on her shoulder causes her to freeze in her tracks.

Looking over her shoulder, Gou gasps at the sight of one of her brother's financial advisers, "Oh, Nitori, you scared me!"

A soft, apologetic smile appears on Nitori's expression as he replies, "Sorry, I just wanted to get your attention."

"You have it now," She says graciously and smiles halfheartedly while glancing hard at his hand in a silent attempt to be released so she can return to her original intention of escaping the palace.

"I was wondering if you wanted to help me make dinner," He declares with a fond smile before sighing, "Rin was supposed to help me, but he disappeared before I could find him."

"Oh," She responds slowly and glances past the door wistfully. The walls are mocking her then and she knows it, she knows that the walls were untouchable and it makes her mad. Furious, even. Yet, she knows her obligations to obey her brother and to represent the kind, blissful woman everyone sees her as is a more important task. With a silent sigh, Gou looks back at Nitori, moving her entire body to face him, and smiles softly when she replies in an even tone, "Of course I'll help you."

"Thanks, Gou!" Nitori grins as he exclaims heartily, a glint of achievement in his cerulean eyes that went unnoticed by Gou's own crimson ones.

"It's Kou…" She murmurs ceremoniously in a defeated tone that is all too common to her and shakes her head in exasperation.

He does not seem to hear her though as he leads the way to the extravagant and overly populated kitchen (she has to wonder why, of all tasks, Nitori suggests cooking when the palace has more than enough chefs on hand). All the while, Gou's mind remains stuck to the idea of venturing past the walls and comes to the conclusion that she absolutely must do so immediately. The only conclusion she can reach is that the only chance she will get to do so is at the time of night when the all the residents of the palace are fast asleep and unsuspecting that she would be out and possibly causing trouble.

Biting her lip to conceal her giddy grin, Gou quickens her pace until she is right next to Nitori and able to chat animatedly to him about what they will be cooking. Oh, tonight will most certainly be an interesting night… for Gou, at least.


	2. Origins

**Author's Notes**: First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the great reception of this story and for the supportive reviews, it means a lot to me. I hope I don't disappoint everyone with it.

Second of all, I would just like to point out that this chapter is also a part of setting the story up and is to help with developing the plot, but on the bright side, the lovely hero of the story shows up and gets interaction with the heroine. :)

Also, as a sort of request, if anyone knows any art that would be an appropriate cover art for the story, please let me know (I am one of those people who likes to use cover arts, haha).

Anyways, here you go, enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

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_Arabian Nights  
_Seijuuro/Gou  
02. Origins

After what feels to be hours to her, Gou finds herself cloaked in the darkness of her room with only the flickering of an indecisive flame belonging to a wax candle illuminating her soft features. Her mind is a whirlwind of chaos as she recounts the events that transpired earlier that evening between Nitori, Rin, and herself – not that there lied much interest in the events.

Rin had returned from who knows where just as Nitori and Gou had placed their hard earned dinner on the long, decorated table that is complimented through the juicy fruit bowls that lay as temptation to hard working servants along with a stockpile of water jugs that lie as bait to those who dare steal from the king. Needless to say, Rin simply took one examination of the setting before setting himself at the head of the table and taking all that he could manage to eat without even sparing a glance or word to his two companions.

It baffled Gou a little as she knew her brother to be one to enjoy a good conversation, but, as of late… he had been acting what she would consider strange. She even found herself looking at Nitori to inspect his reaction to her brother's behavior but he seemed almost content with the situation of simply having Rin's company which only bothered her more even if it was how he normally acted. It was as if the two men shared a secret that Gou had yet to be informed of yet (which, once again, baffled her since the three of them were known to share everything together).

Despite the strange onset of the situation, Gou breezed through her evening and chose to take up the rest of it in her room to contemplate – explaining how she still remains there long beyond the sunset.

After a few more minutes of reflecting, Gou stops to focus on her memory of Rin escaping past the castle walls and where he must have gone. It is quite thrilling, she admits, and with a quick glance to her door, Gou silently rises to her feet and finds herself instinctively venturing to the hole in the wall. On the journey there, past all the painted faces and inexpensive artifacts, Gou experiences a shattering feeling in her bones as she toys with the idea that she could have made the hole in the wall up to fit to her fancies. She knows it is silly to think this when she has clear proof, but there is always that dark part of the brain that says otherwise – perhaps it is because the idea of an outside world is a concept that seemed out of reach for her before now.

In no time, Gou stops and finds herself holding her breath and she stares intently at the small hole in the wall – it barely looks as if a person can fit through, but obviously it can if Rin managed to squeeze through. She hesitates, out of the possible disappointment she may be faced with or fear of the dangers the world may hold, she does not know, but she wastes no time in struggling to climb through the hole. Earning a few scraps from the struggle on her hands and knees, and a tear in her pant, Gou lets out a moan of relief (which soon turns to pain) as she drops to the ground with a heavy thud.

"I actually did it…" Gou mutters in a moment of self-reflection as she sits herself up in anticipation and looks to see what the world held on this side.

Her smile is the length of the Nile then as she takes in the sight of a quaint town laying in front of her, simply begging her to explore it (despite the fact that the streets must be so clear since the moon has settled itself in the sky with ease). The sight is the most beautiful thing in her eyes and she has to wonder why her brother would try so hard to shield her from it – there could not possibly be anything terrible or dangerous about the peaceful aura surrounding the resting village.

Without a second glance back, Gou trots down to the barren streets and stares wide eyes and teeth glimmering as she marvels at the town streets and charming buildings. Their simplicity amazes her as they fail to sport the same glistening exterior and extravagant murals of landscapes of the interior that her palace of a home did. The buildings also fail to match the scale of her home as they are small and can in no possible way hold the sort of arrangements she is used to – not that she doubts the people inhabiting the area knew how to hold a party or feast, quite the contrary, really. Gou expects that these streets are joyous during day hours with cheerful faces and pleasant crowds that welcome with open arms.

It is such a nice thought, Gou knows, and is surprised when she hears the quiet murmuring of voices down the alley she is currently passing by. She feels her heart stop and drop to her stomach for a split second as she freezes and snaps her head to look down the alley in a slight panic – every possible bad scenario coming to mind too, but she tries to ignore it as she strains her ears to hear the conversation.

"… no water…."

"We should leave…."

… What?

Gou's thin eyebrows knit inwards in curious puzzlement as she questions their logic seeing as how the palace is drowning in water reserves. She parts her lips then to call out to the people talking but is cut short by a sudden hand to her shoulder that causes her to yelp and jump out of her skin, her mind returning to her previous state of panic at the possibilities.

"Oh, sorry!" A deep voice yelps in return and retracks the hand far too quickly in a manner that causes Gou to stumble in the same direction.

With the reassurance of a tone such as this man's, Gou gathers the courage to turn to see what exactly she is up against. She is surprised when she comes to find herself faced with a man the height of the sky, but she could not care less as she finds herself face to face with perhaps the most extraordinary muscles and biceps she has ever seen which causes her internal engine to swoon (not that half naked men is new to her when she has previously caught glimpses of people around the palace without shirts or vests on). This man is _completely _topless though and needless to say, throws her off her game as she cannot help but stare in awe and does not even spare his face a glance – all that matters are the muscles. It did not even cross her mind that she was raised in a way that did not permit her to ogle at men in this way until this stranger clears his throat loudly and pulls her from her daze in to a moment of realization.

Gou, in an attempt to redeem herself from her indecent thoughts, huffs when she completely realizes that this person will not be a threat and turns her gaze away, albeit reluctantly, from the person and crosses her arms over her chest. "You ought to be!" She says with the most determined voice she can muster in an attempt to intimidate this stranger into submission even further.

She takes a chance then and looks to his meet his gaze (she is surprised, to say the least, that they are crimson like her own, though more squinty) and awaits a response so she can go on a rant as to why he is in the wrong and that the only way she will accept an apology is if he allows her to examine his biceps further. When he remains still with a dumbfounded expression, Gou grows slightly uncomfortable and guilty as she begins to think that she may have been too harsh on him just now. "Hey, uh…" Gou starts with an awkward tone at the beginning of a somewhat apology but is soon cut short by this stranger wrapping her small hands with his own larger ones and tugging lightly out of eagerness.

"Hey, you're pretty cute," He says with a slight blush and awkward smile while moving one of his hands to rub the back of his neck nervously (which Gou notices has quite a few muscles in itself when he swallows in anticipation).

Gou stares at this man in bewilderment for a split second having never received such an earnest compliment (she is used to the false niceness of the people of the palace, so the tone behind this man is something new). Needless to say, she is a bit taken back by his expressive demeanor since she has to wonder, who in their right mind outright declares their observation of someone they do not know? She contemplates all of this before regaining consciousness and pulling away abruptly and says, "Uh, thanks."

"I'm Seijuuro," He says with a now charming smile as he continues to keep his focus on her petite figure.

"I'm Kou…" She announces reluctantly, hoping he can never adopt that ridiculous nickname of Gou, not that she thinks their relationship will ever progress that far.

He nods in acknowledgement at this and smiles as he does not miss a beat and says, "I've never seen you around before."

"Ah… I'm not from here…" Gou says slowly, debating whether to reveal the truth or not. Obviously she chose the latter as coming to the conclusion that she would not get to know this stranger well enough to have him know the truth of her whereabouts or what her heritage really is.

Seijuuro seems to light up at this as he lets a cool smile spread on his lips and offers, "Then I can show you around, right? You did look a little lost when I saw you. Almost got yourself in a little trouble, actually."

Gou glances back down the alley to find the men gone (where they the trouble Seijuuro spoke of?) and with a reluctant sigh looks back at this Seijuuro character and parts her lips to respond but is cut off by distant voices chatting about, well, _her_.

"Where could she have gone?"

"I doubt she really left the palace, they're just overreacting if you ask me. C'mon, let's go do something else already, _pleaaase_."

"Good thing no one asked you to work at the palace then."

Gou's heart skips a beat as she realizes that they could only be talking about her and looks up at Seijuuro desperately. "You're offer sounds lovely, but I have to go right now, I'm sorry," Gou says and quickly turns on her heel, determining her escape route in the process.

"Hey, wait," Seijuuro says suddenly and reaches for her on instinct but pulls away with a slight blush, "will I get to see you again?"

"I don't…" Gou begins her rejection when Seijuuro keeps with her pace and interjects.

"I'll wait here as long as I have to," he says.

Gou holds her breathe at that moment and hesitates with her retreat in favor of basking in this man's presence but eventually settles with the logic of her mind and quickly dashes away to return home. It is not a far journey she realizes as she is soon standing back at the hole in the palace wall and panting in an attempt to catch her breath.

Her glazed eyes go to the slither of sight of the palace doors through the hole and she remains focused on it for a few moments before she averts her attention to the thought of the man she met. Seijuuro is definitely a strange man with his instant acceptance when he caught a glimpse of her appearance – does that not make him shallow? Gou contemplates a brief moment and ultimately decides that it is most definitely shallow and lets a small frown form on her lips. She tells herself she will most definitely never see him again, and yet… he is to some degree intriguing. Besides, he offered to show her around the town even though he does not know when she will be available next. Being that she was raised with manners, Gou knew she could never stand someone up, so in retrospect, it would be rude to deny his invitation….

Gou knows that only means one thing: at the next possible chance, she will sneak out to meet Seijuuro again and get her fill of the world yet unexplored by her.

With this resolution in the back of her mind, Gou climbs back through the hole and is careful to return to her room without being caught (which is made a little difficult with guards cautiously walking around far too alert for the hour, but Gou is an expert at sneaking around thanks to previous shenanigans she pulled with Rin as children who found joy in disobeying their parent's demands).

Upon entering her dark room, Gou is very careful to get under her covers then and is surprised by how tired she really is (did all the excitement wear her out this easily?). With a faint groan and , Goue allows herself to slip into a state of unconsciousness that does not require a brain process, much to her relief since she is well aware how much trouble she will be in if Rin becomes knowledgeable of her little adventure.


End file.
